Fading Away
by ShaduofTexitar
Summary: It's always Yami. Yami, Yami, Yami. All his friends ever seem to care about anymore is Yami. Or so Yugi thinks. But when a shady man shows up and tries to take Yugi away from them, will he see the truth?
1. Ch 1

Ch. 1

Yugi sat on his bed, looking out the sky light window in his ceiling. He didn't know where he was going anymore, or what the point of his being was. In truth, he was no longer wanted. It was Yami. Everyone wanted Yami, not little Yugi. No one wanted little, poor, defenseless Yugi, and he knew that. No one but Grandpa wanted Yugi, not even Yami, though he pretended to. Only Grandpa truly cared about Yugi any more. Even his friends didn't care. So, what was the point? He sighed, trying to release his depression.

Yami appeared beside the little one. Yugi didn't look at him. Yami studied Yugi, trying to read what he was thinking. He watched Yugi's face and body, but could conclude nothing. When he found that he was getting nowhere, he tried to scan Yugi's mind through their mindlink. What he thought could be picked up by Yugi and vise versa. This didn't work, however, because he found the link blocked.

"Yugi, what's wrong?" Yami asked in his rich, rumbling, soothing voice after all other methods had failed and he was left with no other choice but to ask..

"Nothing," Yugi replied, not looking at Yami and keeping his eyes on the stars.

"Yugi, why aren't you alseep?" Yami tried a different question in hopes he'd get better results.

"Can't," Yugi answered shortly and sharply.

"Yugi, you have a test tomorrow, you need sleep," Yami pressed, knowing of Yugi's concern with his grades.

"I know," Yugi nodded, still keeping his answers short and blunt.

"So lie down and relax, it'll come," Yami instructed.

Yugi sighed in defeat and laid down and closed his eyes, allowing sleep to overcome him. He figerued that his dreams would bring him some comfort. Sleep didn't come easily tonight though. There was so much going through his head. He couldn't get it to calm down. Even so, sleep finally claimed Yugi. When he had fallen asleep, Yami nodded in satisfaction and went back into the puzzle.

The next morning Yugi woke and oozed out of bed to take a shower. Yugi thought in the shower, what would happen if he were to fade away? What would happen if he let Yami have complete control of the body they shared and he hid away in his soul room, never coming out again? Would the rest of the world be happy? Would he be happy? Sure he would, he concluded. He would be happy because he wouldn't have to watch Yami control his life.

And then, another thought tugged at his mind. What would happen to his grandpa? Yugi meant everything to his grandpa. If he could, Yugi knew that Grandpa would give him the moon and all its stars. That's why Yugi had never done anything before, and he couldn't yet. Not until Grandpa had passed away, which Yugi hoped wouldn't happen soon.

Realizing he was just making matters worse, Yugi finished showering and dressed.

As Yugi pulled on his boots in his room, Yami watched. Yugi was quiet today. Too quiet, in fact. Yugi almost always talked to him. But lately, it seemed to Yami, they were pulling apart. What had been a happy union between them seemed to be fanishing. Yami couldn't understand it.

"Yugi, is something bothering you?" Yami asked smoothly.

"No," Yugi answered in a short-clipped stlye.

Something was wrong though. Yami stood and materilized his hand and pressed it against Yugi's forehead to check for a fever.Yugi jumped a little when he had done that. Yugi had forgotten that Yami had learned how to soldify his body for short periods of time, and then parts of his body. He chalked that up as one more thing to hate.

"You're not ill," Yami stated.

"I know," Yugi snapped as he shoved Yami's hand away. "It's not that."

"Then what is it?" Yami questioned.

Yugi's mind curned and he sighed and lied, "The test today. I'm nervous, and I remember the last test. You talked to me through the whole thing. I can't afford that today Yami. I have to make up for the last test you messed up."

"Okay," Yami stated, knowing that Yugi was lying but giving him the benefit of the doubt, "if it concerns you that much, then leave the Puzzle home today."

Yugi nodded and pulled his school jacket on as he left the room. Yami watched him go, his neck hairs prickling.

"He just needs a day alone," Yami assured himself, but fearing, knowing, there was more to it than that.

Shadu: To any sick little minds out there, this is NOT yaoi. Look on my profile, I do NOT write yaoi. Please review.


	2. Ch 2

Ch. 2

Yugi sat outside while he ate his lunch. He rested against the trunk of the big oak tree outside in the courtyard of the school. No one bothered him here. That's just how he wanted it too. He didn't want his friends out there, sitting beside him and ignoring him. He looked up at the sky. It seemed so warm today. He was happy out here, alone. No Yami to bug him in his head and no so-called "friends" to bug him about Yami.

"Well, well, if it isn't the person I was looking for," a sinister voice drawled. "And all alone too, I see. Wonderful. This will be _so_ much easier."

Yugi whipped his head in the direction of the speaker just in time to see a black snake slither towards him. Yugi looked up at the man, but could see nothing. He wore a black cloak and hood, covering his face and any distingiushing features. The only thing Yugi could see were two eyes that glowed with a yellow color and two slits down the middle. The snake wound up Yugi and wrapped itself around him until its head was by Yugi's neck.

"I do hope you will enjoy what time you have left," the man sneered as the snake's fangs dug into Yugi's neck, "because you don't have that much."

The last thing Yugi remembered before the darkness was the cackling of that evil man.

"Yugi," a familiar elder voice called to Yugi, shaking the small teen's body.

Yugi lifted himself slowly and shook his head after he had come back to the world of the living. He sat up, putting his back against the tree, and looked around to see Grandpa by his side, peering into his face worriedly.

"What are you doing here in the middle of school?" Yugi asked, confused. "Lunch isn't even over."

"Yugi, school's been over for four hours," Grandpa stated bluntly. "It's 6:40 now," Grandpa told him, showing Yugi his wristwatch.

Yugi gagged when he saw that his grandpa was telling the truth. But how did it get to be so late? Had he been lying there the whole time? If so, then why? Did that man have anything to do with it? What about the snake bite? What kind of snake was that anyways?

The back of Yugi's neck burned. He reached up and rubbed it, trying to relieve the pain. The rubbing helped a little, but not really that much. It continued to ache and burn, but it was better now. Grandpa watched in confusion and worry.

"Yugi, what's wrong?" Grandpa asked kindly.

Not wanting to worry his grandfather, Yugi replied, "I just have a crick in my neck from sleeping on the ground, that's all."

"Oh," Grandpa acknowledged, knowing Yugi was lying. "Well, come on, let's go home," Grandpa stated as he stood and extended his hand to Yugi.

Yugi smiled and took it. The two of them began to walk home. But there was something in Yugi that didn't feel right. He didn't know what it was. It was like that feeling you get when something is about to happen or go wrong. He didn't want to know what the feeling meant.

"Yugi, I think we've got a problem," Grandpa stated as they neared their home.

Yugi looked up from the ground to see broken glass on the ground in front of their house. His heart lurched. They had been robbed. It was obivous. They had gone through the shop window. Yugi and Grandpa ran into the house to find that no cards, games, or merchandise had been stole. And when they entered the living room, they found that nothing was missing there, either. A sinking feeling washed over Yugi.

He ran up to his room and looked at his desk, which was empty. The Puzzle had been stolen.

"Grandpa!" he cried out in fear. "The Puzzle, it's gone!"

He heard the pounding of his grandfather's feet on the stairs as he padded up them. And when Yugi turned around to look at Grandpa, his head became light and he dizzy. Grandpa entered the room just in time to catch Yugi.


	3. Ch 3

Ch. 3

"Perfect," a slimey voice praised as his servant held up the prize.

A figure shrowded in shadows reached out his hand to pick it up and relieve his servant of it. He twisted it around, surveying it carefully and rubbing its smooth surface. An evil grin creeped its way across his lips.

"Just perfect," he remarked.

"Joey, Joey wait up!" Tea's voice called to the blonde teen as he walked along.

Joey turned to see the brown-haired girl bobbing behind him. He stopped and allowed her to catch up. A look of confusion spread across his face as he watched Tea catch her breath.

"Whatcha doin' down here Tea?" Joey scolded. "You know it's dangerous," he added.

"I know, but I was looking for Yugi, I haven't seen him since this morning," Tea told Joey. "I was coming to see if you had seen him."

"No, I haven't," Joey shook his head. "Sorry."

Tea hung her head and muttered, "I'm just really worried about him, that's all. I have this feeling that something bad happened."

"Have you been to his house yet?" Joey asked, almost like he thought Tea should have thought of this.

"Yes, a couple hours ago, but no one was home," Tea nodded.

"Check back, they may have just gone out, ya know?" Joey suggested, referring to Grandpa and Yugi as 'they'.

"You're probably right," Tea agreed. "Wanna come with me? It's better than just roaming the streets."

"Sure, why not?" Joey shrugged.

"Grandpa?" Yugi asked softly as his room came into focus.

"Oh Yugi, you're awake, how are you feeling?" Grandpa asked, jumping up and rushing over to Yugi.

"I've felt better," Yugi stated as he sat up.

The dizziness rushed to his head and he fell back down onto his pillow. Placing a hand to his head Yugi closed his eyes for a second and allowed the sensation to pass. He felt sick. His stomach curned restlessly and his head spun.

"What happened?" Yugi asked, pulling the covers tighter around his cold body.

"I don't know, I heard you call and then, when I came up, you passed out," Grandpa stated. "Do you feel ill?"

"Maybe a little," Yugi nodded.

Grandpa put a hand on Yugi's forehead. Yugi closed his eyes. Grandpa's hand was warm, and for some reason, it felt good on his forehead. Yugi opened his eyes again and looked up at Grandpa, trying to read his face and see what was going on, but it was no use. Grandpa's face showed no expression. Yugi hated when Grandpa did that, but he figured that the old man had a reason for doing it. He never did anything for nothing. And Yugi knew that he had perfected his "game face" after years of non-stop gambling.

Grandpa left the room, making Yugi's heart tighten a little. Grandpa came back with a thermometer. Yugi was almost sure that his heart skipped a beat this time. Why had he gotten the thermometer? Was there something seriously wrong with him?

Shadu: Short, sorry, review.


End file.
